Showcasing the best new Waterford music
The Déise has some great music... and we want to share it with you. Waterford Music Week is back for its second year. Across music week we will be showcasing and supporting local independent artists on-air, online and across WLR's social channels
Waterford is full of musical talent that spans, many genres there really is something for everyone. . From rap to indie, pop to folk, you'll be sure to find something to suit your taste and hopefully discover an amazing artist that you might not have heard before. You never know they could even be your neighbour. In association with IMRO, Waterford Music Week will run from Monday, March 14th-Friday March 18th. Listen in online on WLR and keep yp to date with all the talented artists on Instagram.
Scroll down to hear what Waterford has to offer.
Waterford Music Week line-up!
Alex Gough
In an industry all but built on BS, Alex Gough is a breath of a fresh air. Frank to a fault, with a winningly self-deprecating wit, the 22-year-old drummer/rapper from Waterford is the first to admit to suffering from self-doubt, laughing he says, “I never had an 'I can do this' moment. It was more a ‘Should I do this?’ moment.” Listening to his brilliantly chameleonic productions, the answer to the latter is a resounding yes.
Coming up behind established talent like Rejjie Snow, Gough is helping blaze a trail for Irish hip-hop internationally. Following radio support and prominent placings in high profile playlists, he’s racked up millions of streams for his 2019 EP, ‘80%’, and earned a high profile sync on the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’. This early success is doubly impressive when you consider that Gough has had to forge his own path in the industry, having had no obvious role models or industry mentors growing up in south east Ireland.
Though music was a permanent fixture at home, nobody in the family played an instrument, making Gough something of an anomaly when he picked up drums, aged six. He recalls being drawn to the instrument by a desire to replicate the rhythms of AC/DC, Green Day, The Who and the other rock bands much loved by his parents, but under the influence of his older brother Gough soon gravitated towards hip-hop. Hours were spent memorising the lyrics to Mos Def classic ‘Mathematics’, before he delved even deeper into the scene and discovered seminal records by Slum Village, J Dilla and The Roots.
As a teenager studying at Waterford’s De La Salle College, the music-obsessed Gough was out of step with his sports-loving peers, and though he played in various bands throughout school it wasn’t until he was accepted into the Cork School of Music that he finally found his tribe. Emboldened, he branched out into music production, making instrumentals intended for guest vocalists, “Kaytranada-style”. “I’d send the songs [to people] and they'd be like, ‘It's cool, but it's not really my vibe,’” he laughs at the memory. “And it got to a point then where I was like, well if it's not their vibe, maybe it's just mine. So I decided to try rapping... Let’s just say, it took me a long time to be comfortable with my own voice.”
That Gough makes no attempt to downplay his Irish accent is a big part of his appeal as a vocalist. Indeed, there’s an engaging authenticity to his easy flow, adding additional weight to his quick-witted bars. Allergic to braggadocio, he’s happiest tackling real-life encounters and anxieties in his lyrics, be that smartphone and social media addiction (‘Dear SJ’) or his experience falling foul of a bouncer on a power-trip (‘Heart Attack’).
Sonically, there’s dizzying variety within Gough’s productions. Graduating from the sample-heavy sound of 2018’s acclaimed ‘Infomercial Tape’, ‘80%’ features both brilliantly old school beats on ‘Breakfast’ and jazz-influenced understatement in the shape of ‘Dear SJ’. On recent B-side ‘Be Kind’ he delves even further into the woozier side of the latter, as inspired by contemporary names like Yussef Dayes, Kamal Williams, and Alfa Mist, as he is undisputed giants of the form, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Chet Baker.
According to Gough, future material is set to be even more diverse. Brand new mixtape Forever Classic is billed as 90s-inspired but with a range that reportedly extends from bossa nova to the breakbeat and Beastie Boys-influence of lead single ‘Heart Attack’. It’s this combination of creative restlessness and undeniable talent that makes Gough an exciting proposition, even if he’s far too modest himself to admit it.
Aliensincaves
Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
Backroad Smokers Club
Waterford ensemble Backroad Smokers Club blend funky beats, jazzy chords and psychedelic rock. The band consists of 5 core members that build a larger group of up to 12 around them. This features brass section, backing harmonies and guest collaborations from musicians/vocalists.
Summer 2019 brought a headline show at Theatre Royal Waterford, a slot at All Together Now as an ‘Emerging Act to Watch’ and the headline slot on ’The Word Stage’ at Electric Picnic.
The band have released 3 singles this year (Music is a Movement, Get Out of Your Head & Colour the World) and are currently putting the final touches on their debut 10 track album due to be released early 2021.
Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
Carrie Baxter
Nobody does jazz and soul-drenched melodies quite like Carrie Baxter. Although she has been compared to some of her idols like Erykah Badu and the late Amy Winehouse, the Irish singer brings a distinctively sweet vocal style to everything she does - one that is authentically hers. Since her debut single release in October 2019, she has been hotly-tipped, with indie music bible Earmilk branding her ‘an artist on the precipice of greatness’ and Hot Press Magazine calling her ‘one of the most thrilling new forces in Irish music’.
2020 saw Carrie independently release her debut EP, Placebo. The EP earned Carrie support from key media including COLORS, Hot Press, Ear Milk, Nialler9, Verge Magazine and Golden Plec as well as radio support on both sides of the Irish Sea from the likes of BBC Radio 1 (Introducing), Jazz FM, BBC Introducing LDN, BBC 6 Music, RTÉ 2fm, Beat 102 103, WLR FM and Red FM. Hot Press Magazine listed ‘Love Me Better’ at no. 31 in their ‘2020 Tracks of the Year’ and described Carrie’s sound as being ‘in a similar vein as the legendary likes of Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu’ as they tipped her as ‘one of the most exciting talents in the country’. Carrie also had two of her songs included on the coveted Spotify end-of-year playlist, ‘The Best of Fresh Éire 2020’, complementing the support she received from the streaming platform earlier in the year when she graced the cover of their ‘The New Éire’ playlist followed by the cover of their “R&B UK” playlist a year later.
In January of 2021 alone, Carrie Baxter has entered the Irish Radio Breakers Chart top 10, been named on Hot Press Magazine’s ‘Hot for 2021’ list and received praise from the likes of District Magazine, Golden Plec and The Last Mixed Tape. Her latest single, ‘Pray’ has been names 2fm’s Track of the Week, added to the RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends playlist, tipped by Ed Smith on Today FM as one of his ‘Ceol for the Soul’ tracks and made Beat 102103’s PlayIrish Artist of the Week.
Check Carrie out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
Carrie Mullane
Carrie, a talented singer/songwriter, is putting her stamp on the Irish music scene. Her powerful vocals and ability to draw listeners in and have them hanging on her every word, make her stand out amongst the sea of talent around these days.
Originally from Waterford, Carrie studied Popular Music in the Cork School of Music. This is where Carrie found her voice and developed her skills in performance and songwriting. Having featured on ‘Want’ in 2019 with producer and beat-maker 1000Beasts, she has spent some time touring Ireland with his live band for performances at Ireland Music Week in Lost Lane Dublin, 1000Beasts live from the Gate Cinema and Cyrus Avenue Cork.
Over the past year, Carrie has featured on another track with 1000Beasts called ‘I Wish’, a single from his latest album ‘Naruda’ which drops on April 1st.
Another collab from Carrie was with Waterford’s own Evan Miles. Miles released his debut EP called ‘Burnin’ late last year. Carrie co-wrote and performed on the track ‘In Your Arms’.
Carrie has been quietly working away on her own original music. Her debut EP ‘Tears of a Fool’ will be hitting the airwaves this Summer.
CODYY
CODYY is an Irish singer songwriter whose sound embodies a fusion of organic instrumentation with electronic undertones, to create a synthesized blend that has the ability to get stadiums hopping. The solo artist originally from Waterford City, Ireland has spent most of his life perfecting his craft of writing, recording, and performing music. Since he was 4 years old CODYY formed a natural passion for music, a journey that began with piano and lead to guitar, bass and singing. He has the ability to write, record, produce and perform his music to the highest level. His first band were Mullingar based Fallen Lights (2015-2019). It was during his time as co-lead singer and songwriter that he honed his trade. The 4-piece electro/ indie pop band received over 15 million radio impressions for 4 singles they released. Known for their electrifying live shows and sold-out headline shows at Whelan’s & Dublin’s Grand Social, FL supported a number of internationally acclaimed artists at some of Ireland highest capacity venues such as The Olympia Theatre, Academy, Vicar St, Dolans, INEC and 3 Arena. As a member of Fallen Lights, CODYY also performed on the most watched Irish chat show RTE’s Late Late show. CODYY has worked with world class producers, such as Phil Magee (Script, Kodaline, The Academic) and Eliot James (Two Door, Bloc Party, The Coronas). Utilising these experiences along with his musical journey so far has resulted in him enhancing his writing and production skills to create his strongest songs and sound to date. The focus is now on bringing CODYY’s debut album to life. An album for the times, intelligently crafted with songs of substance and the potential to become a record that is celebrated for years to come. His ambition is to become an artist recognised on a global scale, touring and performing to sold out audiences worldwide
Check out Codyy on Instagram & Soundcloud.
Cian CuXack
Cian CuXack is a local producer/artist from Waterford City. For years he has been playing around local venues across the South East with bands such as Southern Emperor and Apaches. Over the last couple of years, Cian has begun releasing songs as a solo artist. On May 15th, 2019, he released his debut single 'Unnecessary Times', which received airplay on radio stations across the country.
Cian's music is a mix between Alternative Pop and Electronic Indie, drawing inspiration from the likes of The Chainsmokers, Jon Bellion and Athlete. Music has always been a dream of Cian's and he hopes to continue to create songs that speak to people. Cian's new single 'Chester (The Ending.)' featuring VNV released last month and is available now on all streaming platforms.
Crome Yellow
"Crome Yellow are a raincoat donning four-piece from Waterford who make alt-rock music. Blending modern textures with that of sounds of the 60s and 70s" - Nialler9
Originally forming in 2014, the band launched their 'Yellow Road' EP in June of 2017 after settling on their current line-up. Having grown a massively loyal fanbase in Waterford, they have been expanding their operations into Dublin and Cork with an eye to accomplishing the same there. In 2019, the boys in yellow released their first full-length album, See Why, which displayed Crome Yellow’s progression from their moodier psych-based sounds found on their previous effort into a more feel good, technicolor expression of pop.
"The funk is so cool, but so strong, the music is extremely laid-back to the point the Waterford four-piece are barely playing their instruments (but they are obviously). I want to disappear in this forever, also, lil' bit Republic of Loose, yurt." - REMY
"There is something vintage about this Waterford band. They have a sound that wouldn't be out of place in the 60s. It's bordering on psychedelic, but laced with great melodies bringing you in and getting you involved." - Joe.ie
“The band have been making waves in the Deise music scene with their groove-heavy form of tongue-in-cheek ‘pretentious mysticism’.” – Irish Daily Star
Crome Yellow released their second album, No Friends Or Mirrors, in November 2020. The album features the singles 2.0, Constant Delay, No.9 and Don’t Really Want To Know Ya.
"With infectiously catchy melodies and a laidback ambience, Crome Yellow's noteworthy brand of chilled out indie toes the line between 1960s rock influences, 2000s alt-rock and pop-funk throughout No Friends or Mirrors". - HotPress
"Crome Yellow’s second album demonstrates the band producing more fresh, lively material in line with their recent vein of creative form." - Nialler9
The lads are looking forward to releasing No Friends Or Mirrors on wax, with the vinyls set to go on sale at the end of May 2021. And of course, getting back to playing shows. All of Crome Yellow’s music is available on all major streaming platforms.
Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
Dave Sullivan
Dave Sullivan grew up in Killarney Co Kerry in a house where music was ever-present. His Father was in various trad and contemporary Irish cover bands so he was exposed to a wide spectrum of artists ranging from Christy Moore and the Dubliners to Elvis and The Beatles from a very young age.
Dave recalls playing vinyl records on an old Sharp Hi-Fi system which he discovered also had a microphone –
“I would set the record to play and sing along at the same time, recording my voice on the cassette section – it was my first attempt at mixing but I didn’t know it at the time.”
He began learning and playing the keyboard in primary school and wrote his first “song” on keyboards around the age of 8.
“Dad would let me come up and play songs at his gigs sometimes – from then I was hooked on live music. Later Dad needed a bass player so I bought an old Fender Precision with money I had saved, learned some groves and off we went gigging in pubs around Munster.”
Around that same time, Dave started listening to bands like Nirvana, Foo fighters and Pearl Jam and formed a rock band with secondary schoolmates. Initially played bass and main vocals while the other members played electric guitars and drums.
“That band gave me my first studio recording experience which blew my mind. We hooked up with a local producer and packed off to a big old studio in Cork where we laid down our tracks. We entered one of those songs in a 2fm competition, came in the top 40 in Ireland, made the local news paper and thought we were going to take over the world! The taste of the musician’s life was well and truly there.”- Dave
Over subsequent years, Dave recorded on live TV and Radio with various Bands while also working full time. Recently finding the courage to set out on his own path, this new solo music is a sonic reflection of his journey from adolescence to adulthood and the tapestry of songs woven therein tell the tales.
Check out Dave on Instagram.
Deaf Joe
Dunluvly
Dunluvly has been active in the pub circuit in Waterford, Tipperary and Kilkenny since 2017. Following his graduation from a music technology degree from Maynooth University, Dunluvly began playing in a four-piece band under the same title. The addition of bassist Ryan Fahey, guitarist Mark Duggan and jazz drummer Christian Conefery has brought the sound of the Dunluvly band to the next level.
Dylan Kearns
Waterford born Dublin based singer-songwriter Dylan Kearns spent the last few years perfecting his craft in bands (Gorilla Troubadour) on the Dublin Scene.
His debut solo single “Shes Like A Drug” draws inspiration from the ‘70s and ‘80s infectious synth vibes and the single has comparisons to both Bowie and The Weekend in it’s sleek retro sound.
Check out Dylan on Instagram & Twitter.
Eric McGrath
Folk-Jazz songwriter Eric McGrath was born to a Spanish mother and an Irish father. He spent his childhood growing up in Spain and Ireland, and the past six years living in Melbourne, Australia. This international upbringing opened Eric’s ears to diverse influences that are reflected in the music he writes and performs today. Eric’s catchy harmonies, unusual chord progressions, and breezy instrumental arrangements can be heard on his latest record, Miluca.
Find out more on Ericks Website, Spotify, & Twitter.
Extranauts
Are Waterfords psychedelic pop sextet. With Keith O’Neill on guitar and vocals, Alan Stacey on guitar & Backing Vocals, Peter Vogelaar on bass, Peter Sauvage on Drums, Edward O’Neill on Keys & Brass and Tom Coady.
They are heavily influenced by Krautrock bands like Neu & Can and that kind of relentless motorik beat but with a lot more melody and emotion on top. New Order have always been a big influence in how they can meld the danceable track with a melancholic track so that was also a big touchpoint.
Frozen Stares
Frozen Stares is the songwriting team of Singer/Songwriter Louise Barry and Musician/Producer Colm Key, both are based in Dungarvan, Ireland. The duo has spent the last few months carefully developing their unique musical vision by creating a sonic blend of Synth-Pop infused with Electronica, Rock and other various influences. Their songs weave soulful vocals, otherworldly textures, infectious beats and rhythms.
By drawing influences from such diverse acts as FKA Twigs, Bjork, Portishead, Fever Ray, etc...
they reveal a band that is not afraid to push the boundaries in exploring vast arrays of musical ideas and directions.
Louise Barry has been very active on the music scene here in Ireland and in the UK, where she studied at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. She has been featured on " BBC Radio 6 Music -Introducing Mixtape with Tom Robinson" and has received widespread airplay across Irish radio on her various projects and collaborations.
Colm Key has released two EP's over the last 4 years with his collaborative projects "Lucent Corners" and "The Key Regmies." Both
of which were chosen as EP/Album of the week on Roddie Cleere's KCLRfm Irish Music Show and both EP's gained National airplay on WLRfm, Beat 102103fm, Cork Red FM, Dulbin City FM and RTE (along with many others).
Frozen Stares will be released their debut single "Gonzo" on November 22nd, 2021 (available on all streaming and download services).
They will be releasing their debut EP in 2022 and will be supporting it with live perfromances and streaming events.
Check out their music on Spotify, Instagram, and Facebook.
High Tides
Based in Tramore, Ireland, High Tides is a 2 piece band that began making music together in 2019 while in their first year of college. High Tides fuses sounds inspired by the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Calvin Harris, to name a few.
High Tides released their first EP in October 2021 which included the well-received single "Chemistry".
Check them out on Instagram & Spotify
In The Willows
In The Willows are a six-piece Alternative Folk band hailing from the South–East of Ireland. The band released their debut EP ‘Vantage Point’ in September 2014 as a precursor to the release of their debut album ‘Before Everybody Disappears’.
Their music sees the group blurring the lines between folk, alternative, pop and rock to create their own heart warming and aurally fulfilling sound.
In The Willows returned to the studio in October 2015 to record their follow up EP “Fallen Bird”, which was released in February 2016 (available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play), and received an extremely warm reception in the press. It was recorded at Attica Studios under the watchful eye of Ian McNulty (Villagers, The Ambience Affair, The Young Folk).
They have performed on many renowned Irish musical festivals and stages such as Electric Picnic, Indiependence, Castlepalooza, Whelans, Smock Alley, Garter Lane, The Set Theatre, The Workman’s Club, Ruby Sessions, Whelans “Ones To Watch” Festival and festivals across Europe. They have also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Wallis Bird, Duke Special, Damien Dempsey, SOAK and Little Green Cars to name but a few.
In the Willows plan to return to Wavefield Studios in 2022 to record a new EP with Cork producer Brian Casey, who produced their last single 'Talking to Myself'.
Harmania Indie Choir
Waterford based, Harmania Indie Choir were formed back in 2015. From their humble beginnings of just 12 members, they have grown hugely in numbers and popularity. Their love for arranging and singing unique covers of indie classics, as well as pop, folk, indie folk, rock and dance music (no genre is off the cards!!) has seen them perform on many stages at various festivals and gigs throughout Ireland.
They’ve also recorded a number of videos both as Harmania and in collaboration with various Irish artists such as Emma Langford and Waterford’s “In The Willows”. They recently were featured on RTE 1’s Claire O’Byrne and early this year were listed on “1001 Covers” best covers playlist for their version on Stone Roses classic “ She Bangs The Drums”.
Come to one of their gigs and you are guaranteed to hear them take on a song that you would not expect a choir to go near with a barge pole!!
Litium Lounge
Lithium Lounge is a three-piece experimental punk band from Waterford City, Ireland. The trio, consisting of Anthony Power Pierce on guitar and vocals, Maciej Kaczmarski aka Max Mawell on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Shane Power on drums, have been playing and writing music together since 2016 … For their debut EP, the band chose to work with ‘Gary Duncan’’ (Red Lake Studios) as they wanted to capture their sound during live takes in the studio. Plans to record a long-playing album are in the works. Again the band will be recording the songs live as they are ardent believers in capturing a true performance to represent the raw energy of the material. While the music world has been devoid of live music for the last eighteen months, the urge to perform and bring their music into venues and onto stages grows by the day, and Lithium Lounge is biting at the teeth to plug in and turn it up to eleven… To prepare for the recording sessions with Gary Duncan the band set about playing a series of street gigs around the southeast, along with online events. The songs on the debut EP leave themselves open to interpretation but they also dig deep and deal with topics such as depression, oppression, revolution and Doritos. Lithium released their debut self-titled EP on Bandcamp on the 28th of December 2021.
You can stream their music here.
Mi Jazza
Emerging onto the pop scene with her debut killer single 'Tightrope', Mi Jazza is a force to be reckoned with. A veteran of the live music scene in Cork City, Mi Jazza (aka Jasmine Murphy) is not shy of giving a stellar performance in every show she does. Excited to finally get her music out there after years of studying music in the prestigious Cork School of Music and 15 years of singing - Mi Jazza is gearing up for the release of her debut EP in 2022.
Mi Jazza is excited to make her mark on the music industry with her talent for writing enormously hooky earworms crossed with serious thematic and emotional content. She has many more incredible releases in the works and cannot wait to get out to tour her music and collaborate with other upcoming artists in the coming months. Stay tuned for much more Mi Jazza to come...
Find out more about Mi Jazza here.
Moncrieff
Moncrieff’s music is probably best described as a mix of classic R&B and soul with a modern electronic twist. He moved to London to pursue his music career at just 19 and has since made it onto numerous 'Ones To Watch' lists across Ireland and the UK. His fan base even includes Elton John, who gave him a shout out on his radio show, Rocket Hour, on Beats 1 radio. His growing reputation also landed support slots touring with headline Irish acts Picture This and Walking on Cars and his own first headline show in Dublin sold out in less than 3 hours
The Tramore native's latest EP is called 'The Class of 2020' and he's currently working on new music too.
Check Moncrieff out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
One Morning In August
One Morning In August formed in 2018, released their first single ’Reverb’ in June 2019 and they released their self titled debut album in August 2020 to critical acclaim.
In October 2020 they announced they had signed to Cork based label FIFA Records who also have Frank & Walters, Power of Dreams, Emperor of Ice cream and August Wells on their books.
Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
Oran Byrne
Oran Byrne is a 20-year-old musician, singer, and songwriter from Waterford, Ireland. Byrne first picked up the guitar at the age of 14 and began writing music at the age of 15, playing in a band and then eventually embarking on a solo career at the age of 19, marked by the release of his debut single 'Isolation' in March of 2021. His biggest influences both musically and lyrically are The Beatles and Arctic Monkeys. This is particularly evident in his songwriting, as he tends to embrace the rich harmonies that defined The Beatles in his own music, coupled with the softly-sung poetic lyrics that John Lennon and Alex Turner are noted for. Byrne currently has four singles available on all streaming platforms and has confirmed that there is something new in the works which is set to be announced very soon.
Check out their music on Instagram ,Facebook ,Twitter, Spotify & Bandcamp
Peter Vogelaar
Inner Creatures is the sophomore album from Irish producer & bass player Peter Vogelaar. Hitting a playlist reach of 1 million on its week of release, it has been playlisted by Spotify UK New Music Friday, Ministry Of Sound, Kiss FM, EnRoute Records and many more.
Peter Vogelaar’s newest long-play ‘Inner Creatures’ Is a firm nod to the likes of Four Tet, Bonobo and Caribou. The album’s title alludes to the introspective nature of crafting a body of work, not just the moments writing but those reflecting.
Peter's earthy sounding organic electronica has been licensed to HBO, ABC & MTV, most recently on How To Get Away With Murder. He has remixed many artists from his native Ireland including Wyvern Lingo, SON (Susan O'Neill) & King Kong Company.
Propeller Palms
Propeller Palms, are a 10-piece outfit from Waterford featuring three brass players and three females singers crafted onto the basic rock format, with lead vocals handled by dynamic singer-guitarist Paul Butler, once of Neuro fame.
Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
The Kost
Youthful Waterford, Ireland based, four-piece band, The Kost, made up of Baylea Grace, Oisin Fortune, Ronan Stacey and Conor Stacey. Playing guitar and synth-driven energetic, feel-good indie pop music filled with catchy hooks and choruses for the ages, taking inspiration from bands such as The Killers, Coldplay and MGMT. Their debut single 'Nowhere' is available on all streaming platforms NOW!
Check out the Kost in Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and stream their new single Nowhere here.
The Boofs
Teenage rock band sensation The Boofs formed in January 2020 on lunch break at Blackwater Community School Lismore Co Waterford. They are a five-piece band with many influences such as The Sex Pistols, The Pogues and Avenged Sevenfold to mention but a few.
They are a high energy and explosive band with ambition to match. Four members of the band are still in secondary school at Blackwater Community School with the exception of Lead guitarist Danny McCarthy Thompson who is currently studying Sound Engineering and Music at The East Cork Music project Middleton Cork. They have high hopes for the future and are currently recording their Debut EP called The Johnny Music EP at Claycastle
Recording Studios Youghal, East Cork.
Toucan
TOUCAN is the pop, funk and soul artist from Tramore, Conor Clancy. Alongside him, he has an incredible group of musicians from drums, to brass, to backing vocals. With the full ten-piece band behind him, the contagiously funky songs have an explosive live sound.
Since releasing the debut single 'We Fell For Miles' in 2018, TOUCAN has seen huge momentum in Ireland and abroad, garnering millions of streams on Spotify from a growing fanbase in the UK and Australia. The Summer before the pandemic, they supported Nile Rogers & CHIC in Dublin, they played a slot for The Average White Band in London's Royal Albert Hall and finished out a busy Summer with a packed show in the Electric Arena tent at Electric Picnic.
Since the live industry has stopped, Conor's been writing new material from his home in Tramore and excited to get back performing the new songs next year.
Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
Under Starling
Under Starling are an alternative rock band originating from Dungarvan, Waterford comprised of brothers Danny (lead vocalist and guitarist) and Tommy Dunford (drums, vocals) as well as Colin Drummey (bass) and Alex Pollock (keys, guitar and vocals).
Known for their dazzling live performances which encapsulate the band's emotive and chaotic energy, Under Starling released their debut single, ‘Far Be It From Me’, in August 2018 which was followed by an independent Irish tour hitting the core Irish music scene and rallying fans across the college demographic. In early 2020 the band released a follow-up single 'Quasar (3C 273)' followed a month later by 'Quasar (reimagined)'. The band evoke a range of emotions within their epic atmospheric sound and polished recordings and they plan on growing this kinetic sound into something much bigger.
Check out their music on Spotify and Instagram.
Waiting Space
Waiting Space’ is an audio & visual project - and alias of Waterford musician and artist, Chris Falconer. Through a D.I.Y. process that is enabled by contemporary technology, as ‘Waiting Space’, he creates self-recorded/self-produced musical pieces in a domestic setting - that are characterised by dynamic vocals and cinematic instrumentals - typically blending programming, electronics, and live-instrumentation. Influenced by diverse musical artists from Nine Inch Nails to Ólafur Arnalds - Waiting Space is essentially a ‘genre-less’ project, producing pieces that can jump between beat-focused, moody electronica; occasional synth-pop; and onwards to neo-classical, slow-tempo, atmospheric pieces. Each musical piece is also ‘complemented’ by visuals which Falconer creates in response -
including cover-artwork, digital animations, travel footage, or short films. As a result of this visual
element, the project has crossed over into the gallery-world - with Waiting Space pieces having been exhibited in Lismore Castle Arts, in Waterford, has also been commissioned by the Luan Gallery in Athlone, to create musical scores for ‘virtual walkthrough’ videos of the gallery’s exhibitions a number of times during 2020 and 2021 - allowing audiences to ‘visit’ the gallery from a distance, despite COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. Having released 9 singles to date - Waiting Space is currently working on a debut album, to be released in 2022.
Check out Waiting Space on Instagram & Spotify.
Waiting Space’ is an audio & visual project - and the alias of musician & creator, Chris Falconer, from Waterford, Ireland - formed in 2014.Through a D.I.Y. process that is enabled by contemporary technology, as ‘Waiting Space’, he cre-ates entirely self-recorded/self-produced musical pieces - that are characterised by dynamic vo-cals and cinematic instrumentals - typically blending programmed-electronics & live-instruments. Influenced by diverse musical artists from Nine Inch Nails, to Ólafur Arnalds - Waiting Space is essentially a ‘genre-less’ project, producing pieces that can jump between beat-focused, moody electronica; occasional synth-pop; and onwards to neo-classical, slow-tempo, atmospheric pieces. Each musical piece is also ‘complemented’ by visuals which Falconer creates in response -including cover artwork, digital animations, travel footage, or short films. As a result, the project has crossed over into the gallery-world - and Waiting Space pieces have been exhibited in Lismore Castle Arts, in Waterford, and was also commissioned by the Luan Gallery in Athlone, to create a musical-score to a ‘virtual walkthrough’ video of the gallery’s spaces, hosted online for Culture Night 2020, allowing audiences to ‘visit’ the gallery from a distance, despite COVID-19 lockdowns. Having released 9 singles to-date - Waiting Space is currently working on a debut album, to be released between 2021 and 2022.
Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.
Ward
Ward is the alias of Sean Ward, a Waterford-born and based multi-instrumentalist. The 17-year-old became proficient in guitar, bass, piano and drums in recent years. Taking influence from a variety of modern artists such as Dominic Fike, Still Woozy and Rex Orange County. Ward writes, performs and produces each element of his bedroom-pop injected tracks.
Signing to Waterford’s independent Egg Twelve Records at the top of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 saw Ward cut his teeth with his debut single “Romeo,” followed shortly thereafter by his Summer sophomore single “Light Switch”.
Whozyerman
Following on from the conclusion of O Emperor and their critically lauded final album Jason, which won the Choice Music Prize 2018, frontman Paul Savage embarked on new solo material which embraced a more low-fi aesthetic of bedroom recording.
The first fruits of this new venture was the debut single Ooze, released 24 April and continued with four-track Whozyerman? EP1 was released on the 22nd of May 2020.
Out 14th May 2021 - ‘All The Time To Kill’, the first cut from his soon-to-be-announced debut album, is a neat summation of the fledgling producer’s modus operandi; all Krautrock bass shuffles and rhythmic drum machine oddities. Indeed, the track itself plays out like something akin to a Pixar soundtrack to a character’s dream sequence, with Savage’s stoned David Byrne delivery taking us through the disjointed thought process of the protagonist’s journey to absolutely nowhere.
The lead single from Whozyerman?’s debut album - set for release later this year - ‘All The Time To Kill’ demonstrates the range of Savage’s musical influences, bringing to mind the colourful tripping grooves of Lemon Jelly or even some of Animal Collective’s more navel-gazing moments. Primarily using drum machine beats as a starting point, many joyful hours were spent tinkering and layering sounds over these patterns in order to construct ‘All The Time To Kill’, a DIY anthem for navigating “the banal canal” of life. ‘All The Time To Kill’ is nothing, then, if not current.
Check out Whozyerman on Instagram and Spotify.
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